The Proper Princess
by the pick-it fence
Summary: It takes only the perfection of a true princess to rule her kingdom well. When Daisy's father suddenly becomes ill, Peach must teach her friend how to become a proper princess. Either Daisy will learn to change her ways and take the throne or leave the kingdom without a leader.
1. Prologue

**Hello everyone! Happy New Year! The history behind this story is that I wrote this way back in 5th grade. I'm still not the best writer, if you can't tell, ****and I ask for some constructive criticism if you can give it. I might work on some things here and there but I'm pretty much keeping it the same way that it was back then. Please read and leave a review if you can because I appreciate it. **

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**Prologue **

Sarasaland is famous for its discovery and rumored extra-terrestrial inhabitants. It was a kingdom shroud in mystery. A world that was filled with fantasy and royalty. The king and queen lived happily together, ruling the land with ease; as its residents lived happily as well.

After a few years, the queen announced the expectation of a new baby. It would be a princess that will rule the land after her parents. The Mushroom Kingdom's royals also announced the coming of a new heir days later. With both royals overjoyed, they became close friends.

After many uneventful months had passed, both princesses were born. Both kingdoms rejoiced, celebrating the new heirs. It was a wonderful time for everyone in Sarasaland. The queen had named the child after a popular flower in The Mushroom Kingdom, a daisy. As a token of gratitude, The Mushroom Kingdom queen named her child after the Sarasaland queen's favorite fruit, a peach. The kings had both agreed that the children must become friends and hold the same bond as their parents. There were so many expectations that were held over the children, but their parents would make sure that they were to complete all of them, and do it properly. They must have the proper gown, the proper hair, the proper crown, the proper jewelry, the proper attitude, and most importantly, the proper husband. Everything must be proper, or else they wouldn't be the proper princesses.

Years had passed after those days of prim and perfection. Sarsaland was without a queen now, without the proper role model for the princess. Nothing was perfect anymore. Princess Daisy was now older and smarter, but she wasn't proper. She could roll in the mud with the pigs, she could play baseball with the boys and not care if her hair was tangled, and she could fight for herself, which wasn't the proper thing to do in the eyes of her father. She knew that her father just wanted her to be just like Peach. Oh how she despised how her father admires Peach's perfection. Peach was clean, neat, glossy, doll-like, but she was proper, which was all Daisy's father wanted for her. Daisy even hated the word. _Proper, _it had such a weird way of escaping her lips. However, her father was only trying to teach her what he couldn't by letting Daisy stay with Peach for the seasonal balls, and Daisy knew that. She just hated the fact that she did.

* * *

The sun shone through the stain glass windows of the throne room. Daisy's father sat on the throne, reviewing the schedule he had received moments ago. He sighed and rested his palm on his forehead. A young, teenage-like Princess Daisy strode in, her hair bouncing behind her as she smiled.

"Good morning, Daddy!" She bowed, picking up the sides of her dress in a curtsey.

"Good morning, sweetie. I must show you this." He patted his lap and let Daisy sit on him. He was strong, so he could take her weight.

"What's that?" She pointed at the scribbles on the paper.

Her father huffed and tapped the paper lightly. "It's the schedule for this year, where I will be going."

"Daddy," She slouched back on the throne's arm, "Don't you think you should stay home this year? You've been around the world enough. "

"Sweetie, I have to make sure everything is in check. We can't have the lands around us get into trouble, now can we?" He looked back at the paper.

Daisy's father was known for his travels around the world to make sure everything was perfect and in place. He would stay some days and be gone the next. Daisy was always upset when he left. She missed her mother and with her father temporarily gone, Peach's castle was not the place she wanted to be. Every time her father left the kingdom to an island or far off land, Daisy couldn't help but fear for him. He started traveling after the queen had passed due to a terrible disease that plagued the sands. Daisy had always supposed that her father's passion to travel was due to the fact that he remembered the queen's knack for perfection and wanted everything to be like the queen wanted it: Perfectly Perfect.

"But Daddy, can't it wait until after Christmas? Everyone will be together and happy, but I'm going to be stuck with Peach."

"Yes, but Toadstool is teaching you to be a princess. While I'm gone, I can be confident that you are learning how to be-"

"Proper." She finished in a mocking tone.

The king looked at her with a smile. "I only want the best for you."

"Yeah, I know." She replied quietly.

They both looked at the schedule in front of them. Daisy tried to memorize the dates, pounding each date into a mental image. The two were left in silence, only their faint breaths could be heard. Daisy looked up from the paper and a question that she rarely asked had popped into her head. She turned to her father, "Daddy?"

He looked up from the paper and their eyes were locked on each other's. "Yes, dear?"

"Do I remind you of Mom?"

The king hesitated, first looking around the room. Daisy sighed and was about to stop him from responding, but he spoke.

"When you talk, you remind me of how your mother would speak; always clear and fluent. When you look at me with your beautiful blue eyes, it reminds me of her diamond eyes that always made me smile. But you want to know what make me think about your mother the most when I see you?"

Daisy nodded, feeling her lips curl into a smile.

Her father pinched Daisy's cheeks and laughed, "Your chubby little cheeks remind me of your mother's perfectly round face."

She laughed and pushed her father's hand away from her face. "Mom was perfect, wasn't she?"

The king smiled, but it slowly faded. He missed the queen just as much as the rest of the kingdom, if not more. Daisy just wanted to please her father in any way possible. She felt that she wasn't enough. As if just being her wasn't accepted by him for the odd reason.

Daisy hopped down from his lap and walked out of the room after bowing her farewell. She walked down the all-too-familiar halls to her room. From her room, she could see the rapid river that cut through the sands. She sighed and looked over to her vase of fresh flowers. She brushed her fragile fingertips across the petals of the tulips and roses. Once she reached the daisies, she winced back.

_You must be prim and proper, for a true princess has no flaws; _she recited the lines in her mind. _A true princess…_

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**Please leave a review with any criticism for me because I'm still a little unsure with this story. Or, leave a comment. I appreciate all reviews and comments whether or not they have criticism. Thank you. **


	2. Chapter 1

**This fan fiction was actually meant to take place before another fan fiction that I haven't posted, but I have written. I'll post that one up once this one is done. The genres of this story may be a bit wrong, but I couldn't think of what this would really fit into, so those are probably going to change. **

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**The Proper Princess**

**Chapter 1**

Daisy stood by the balcony, letting the chilled wind caress her face. It was a dark and cool night, which was expected around the winter months. The stars twinkled in the sky, making them look like party lights, blinking in specific patterns. As beautiful as the night was, Daisy didn't really want to be here. It wasn't that she hated Princess Peach enough that she wanted to stay miles away from her; or that her castle was too big and colored for Daisy to comprehend. It was the nagging feeling for her father.

After Daisy was old enough to understand that she needed to learn how to be a princess, her father allowed her to stay with her friend while he was away on travels. Daisy usually forced herself to have fun with her friends but it was hard to stop the thought that her father could die while she was laughing at a joke or playing with the curtains on the windows. So rather than avoid the fear, she let it happen. She would lock herself from everyone else and stayed far away from reality as much as she could. It wasn't easy, though; especially when Peach forced her to go…dancing. Dancing was the one thing that all royals must learn and Daisy never had the chance to learn it.

Tonight was the rescue party that Peach had arranged to thank Mario. Daisy just thought she threw the party because he got tired of the cake. Originally, it was meant to be a small party for the four of them, Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Daisy. Then, Toad found out and the next thing the princess knew the entire kingdom was in on the party. Peach should have known better, Toad could never keep a secret.

While the kingdom was having a good time in the ball room, Daisy looked out the balcony. For some reason, she felt like being outside today. She could hear the symphony of the ball room echo through the marble halls. It was a strange symphony; loud and bombastic in one measure, but then quiet and still in another. Her mind stopped so she could focus on the music for a minute. As the music paused, the musicians most likely starting a new piece of music, she heard footsteps behind her. She balled her fists in preparation to pound whoever this was into the ground.

"Hey." a familiar male voice sounded. Daisy turned around quickly and stepped back.

"How dare- Oh, it's you…"

"Were you expecting someone?" Luigi's voice was faint, like a whisper, but she could still hear him clear as day.

"No, but Peach might come soon to check on me."

"Ah," he nodded and walked to the rim of the balcony. Daisy turned back to the sky, keeping her eyes away from him. "I needed a break from all the…whatever's going on."

Daisy smiled, but it quickly faded. "You're Mario's brother, right?"

He nodded, looking at the black sky peppered with stars. It was hard for her to believe that he was even related to Mario. They were so different; one was brave and outgoing, while the other was quiet and shy. Nonetheless, brothers are brothers, after all.

"Are they dancing?" she asked irritably.

"They just started."

Daisy sighed and turned away from the balcony. "Well you better dance with your girlfriend while you still can."

She began walking gracefully away as Luigi turned around to her. He almost reached for her arm, but he stopped himself before he could grab it. "I don't…"

His voice trailed off, sounding empty. She stopped and looked back at him with a slight sympathetic glare. "Oh," she replied, "Well I can't dance."

"I can…teach you, if you want." Luigi's eyes beamed suddenly. Daisy remained still, shocked by his offer. Someone actually wants to teach her how to dance? No one ever dared to teach her. Deemed un-teachable by most of pervious instructors, she refused to try again. "But I can't-"

"So?" he took her hand and gently pulled her towards him. "I have an idea; I'll tell you some things that I can't do. Deal?"

Daisy put her hand on his shoulder, mentally agreeing to his strange offer. Her other hand met with his and she felt his remaining hand hug above her waist. Almost immediately, the music began again; it was slow, soft tune.

"Let's see…I can't be alone in the dark for more than five seconds." They began to sway as he led her into a waltz. He spoke still with a faint voice that seemed to fit with the ambiance, as it was soothing and clear. Daisy looked away from his eyes, trying to remember the stance and which way to move her feet.

"Why?" Daisy blurted.

He shrugged slightly, looking to the sky for a second. "I can't stand ghosts and dark places. Dark places usually mean ghosts for me..."

"Logic." Daisy mumbled.

He chuckled.

"I can't stand shrimp. Blech." she heard herself say.

Luigi laughed strangely, which made Daisy tilt her head in confusion. "I'm sorry," he shook his head, smiling; "I can't laugh like a normal person."

"If I laugh, I'll probably snort." she said. She never usually admitted that she snorted if she laughed too hard, but she just felt comfortable admitting it to him.

"Well I don't make anyone laugh, so don't worry about snorting around me."

"I think you're pretty funny. Well, with your 'flawless logic' and all."

"It _is_ flawless logic, I'm perfect."

Daisy smirked at him, making him smile. "Alright, Mr. Perfect."

"Ms. Piggy."

"Mr. Darkness."

"Ms. Surprise."

Her smile faded at the last remark. "Ms. Surprise?"

He glanced down then, looked back at her. "Surprise," he spun her around and led her into a dip, "You're dancing." He whispered.

She almost flipped out of his grasp, but contained her excitement. She had danced and for once, didn't step on anyone's feet. "I-I guess I just needed a distraction."

He pulled her up from the dip and smiled. "Don't we all?"

From the side of the right wall, Peach peered over, smiling at the sight. She felt her hands tremble with excitement. This was exactly what she wanted for her friend; the perfect setting, the perfect timing, and the perfect dance instructor. She kept her squeal to herself and ran back to the ball room.

Daisy let out a content giggle and hugged Luigi. He stood back, not sure what to do. His arms finally wrapped around her body and embraced her, which made his blood race. She leaned back from the hug and met with his eyes. They both began to blush._  
_

"Well, thank you...Luigi." Daisy let go of him.

Luigi nodded and looked out the balcony solemnly. Daisy headed back to her room with a slight skip in her step.

* * *

The night was quiet after the party had ended. There was a sense about the stillness that made the world stop for Daisy. She laid down flat on her bed, her legs and arms spread out. She breathed inwardly as her eyes moved to the full moon that was visible through the window. The light was set on the desk next to the window, which had an unopened letter. Daisy had opened all the letters she had received this morning, so this letter was delivered later in the day. She stood up from her bed and walked meekly towards the desk. The letter was sent from her castle and was marked as "URGENT". _That's weird, _she thought. Her father wasn't due to come back until next week. Perhaps Toadette misfiled one of the deeds or something silly like that.

She ripped the envelope open and took out the letter slowly. Her eyes slowly scanned the top of the letter; as she predicted, the letter was from Toadette. As she read on, her eyes moved faster and faster. She jumped from one word to the next without thinking. She dropped the letter and raced out the door. The letter read:

_Dear Princess Daisy,_

_ I have some news. _

_Your father just returned from the previous travel early due to a disease. This isn't the same cold or flu that he got a while back, this is the same disease that your mother had. _

_He's been getting weaker and weaker as the hours go by and I'm scared. I think you need to cut your trip short and come here soon. I can't hold him any longer. This disease is not contagious, but it still gives me the chills._

_I don't want you to miss your father, so please please please come soon, Daisy. I need you. He needs you. Your kingdom needs you._

_-Toadette_

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**Leave any reviews to help me out with this old story and thanks in advance if you did. Have a happy new year and I'll see YOU...in the next update!**


	3. Chapter 2

**Warning: This chapter might be a little sad-ish, so if you're not in the mood to be upset, I recommend that you do not read this. If you are reading the entire story though, I recommend you DO read this, because a lot happens here.**

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**Chapter 3**

Peach awoke to the sound of her door slamming open. Her body shot up from the bed and she pushed her blonde hair out of her eyes. Daisy was frantically pulling spare clothes out of the wardrobe. Peach got out of bed and put her hands on Daisy's shoulders to stop her.

"Daisy, what is wrong with you?" Daisy could feel the silk ends of Peach's night gown wrap around her ankles.

"Let me go!" she snapped and broke away from her grip. She continued to pull her suitcase from under Peach's bed.

"What's wrong? You aren't leaving until next week, why the sudden panic?"

Daisy put the pile of clothes in her suitcase and slammed it closed. She realized that she was wearing the same dress she wore earlier today, but she didn't care. "I-I need to leave…now."

"Toadsworth won't allow it," Peach pulled Daisy back, "Neither will I. Now, tell me what the reason is for all this."

Daisy looked away from Peach and bit the inside of her cheek. "I don't care! I'm leaving!"

"Why?"

"Be-because…" Daisy's voice lowered, "My dad…is…"

Peach nodded before she could say anything else. She quickly took Daisy's suitcase and walked towards the door. The hall lights were still on, meaning that Toadsworth was still awake. Peach looked around to make sure that he wasn't nearby. Daisy peeked over her shoulder, looking both ways down the hall.

"We need to go to the stables. The train will take too long to arrive and walking will take the rest of the next day. Riding is our only chance."

The girls walked out of the room and quickly dashed through the halls. They needed to be quiet, for the servants were still roaming the halls. The stables were on the other side of the castle. Once they reached the left castle courtyards, Daisy ran past Peach, not caring if someone had seen her. Peach quickly followed until they reached the stable doors.

The stable was locked for the night, Yoshis were sleeping peacefully. Each one was a different color, making the sable light up with a rainbow shade.

Every Yoshi was a different color, which was also a nice way to tell the Yoshi's personality. The purple Yoshis were mostly very shy and quiet; the yellow Yoshis were calm most of the time, but when threatened, they would attack; the blue Yoshis were very talkative with their friends, but never to strangers; etc.

Peach opened the gates of two purple Yoshis, trying to be as quiet as possible. Daisy took her suitcase and looked at Peach frantically saddling the animals. "We need to hurry. The servants will most likely check our rooms again at dawn."

Daisy nodded and patted the fist purple Yoshi. It cooed to her touch, making her giggle.

As the girls led the two Yoshis out of the stable, they saddled up, tying the thin reins against their hands. "We'll be there by morning, right Daisy?" Peach looked up from her feet.

"If we hurry. No breaks, no nothing. Come on!" She signaled for the Yoshis to move forward and the two began to gallop off to the north.

The rest of the Yoshis were sleeping, but one was wide awake. A green Yoshi that was simply named…Yoshi.

He was a tad smarter than the rest of his species, making him seem more like an outcast. He knew how to open his gate door and how to roam around the kingdom without getting caught. Yoshi never befriended many of his kind, but he was warmly welcomed into the human kind. These two brothers that he knew always treated him like a pet, which was fine by him, because he loved to be pampered.

Yoshi noticed that the main stable gate was left wide open by the princesses. He unlocked his gate and walked out into the sleeping world. It was just as he predicted- the world was a huge, vast, land that (from the naked eye) never ended. Yoshi looked back at the stable gate, which was still wide open. He closed it quickly to make sure that no one else got out. The city was in view from the stables. Yoshi ogled at it and suddenly remembered that the brothers lived somewhere in there. He could tell them about the princesses and they would praise him even more.

Heck, he could become the hero of The Mushroom Kingdom!

Yoshi smiled at the thought and trotted over to the city.

* * *

The sands swirled around the girls. The wind was picking up, which was the sure sign of a sand storm. Daisy didn't want to strain the Yoshi, but if they didn't hurry, then the storm would catch up with them. She urged the animal to travel faster.

The castle was in sight, hidden by hovering sands. Daisy beamed, excited to be home, but anxious to see her father.

Peach followed hastily behind Daisy. The storm was almost on their tail.

"Just a little farther!" Daisy announced.

The sun was beginning to rise, making the desert land seem fiery with a mix of gold and orange. Sunrises were easy to see around Sarsaland, since no buildings or houses really covered your view. Daisy had always spent time with her father to just watch the sun rise and set. When Daisy was younger, she always thought of this as a boring activity, but it was the boring things that she remembered well. She remembered how the sun would shine on just them two, how they just talked or said nothing at all, how everything was so perfect back then. The past was better than the present.

Daisy's vision was blurred by tears, but she held them back. She didn't want Toadette or Peach to see her cry. Not here, not now.

The large castle doors were protected by two guards. As the princesses hopped down from the Yoshis, the guards saluted. They opened the doors stiffly.

Peach smiled with excitement. She had never been around Daisy's castle before and seeing it up close was much different from seeing it in old textbooks. The guards led the Yoshis to the other side of the castle where the river was and the girls strode inside. Toadette ran down the marble staircase quickly to greet the princesses.

"Princess! I'm glad you could make it!" Toadette hugged Daisy around her waist.

"It wasn't any trouble." Daisy kneeled down to her friend.

As they backed away from each other, Toadette bowed before Peach. "Good to see you, Princess Toadstool."

Peach curtsied. "Same to you, Toadette."

Toadette looked towards the closed doors to the throne room. "Your father is right this way, Daisy. Follow me."

Daisy walked hastily behind Toadette. The large throne room doors were opened by another two guards. They bowed at the girls and closed the doors behind them.

The throne room still looked the same way it did when Daisy begged for her father to stay in the kingdom until Christmas was over. He had turned down her offer to stay and left the next day to another island off the coast of the kingdom.

Daisy remembered the fragile textures of the stain glass window- how each window depicted another event in the kingdom's history. The king had told her the entire story from the first window, to the last one on the other side of the room. Daisy's favorite was the king and queen's wedding day. This window had a much different feel to it, Daisy recalled.

"_Do you see this one, Daisy?"_

"_What's that one, daddy?"_

"_This was your mother and I, back when we got married."_

"_You look so fancy. Everyone was there?"_

"_Why, yes."_

"_Mommy looks really nice." _

"_You mother always looked nice; just like you do."_

"_This window feels tougher than the other ones."_

"_This, child, is meant to represent the lasting bond between husband and wife. The window will never break, just like your mother and I…our relationship is too strong to break. And once you get married, your window will be just as strong as ours…if not, stronger."_

"Your majesty, Princess Daisy is here to see you." Toadette called Daisy back to reality.

The king was looking solemnly at a schedule, a cane towards the side of his throne. He never used a cane before, so the disease was already making his body weak.

As he looked up, he smiled. "Welcome, welcome!"

Daisy tried to manage a smile while Toadette kept the king's cane close to his leg. The two princesses curtsied. "It's an honor to see you again, your majesty," Peach cooed, "It truly is."

"As is to see you again, Princess Toadstool. You have become quite the fine young lady over these years, I see."

"Thank you." Peach was oozing with excitement, but Daisy wasn't too happy.

"Hi, daddy." Daisy smiled.

The king turned to her. "Hello, darling…home so soon?"

"Well, of course. I wanted to see how you were." Daisy insisted. "Are you feeling okay?"

The king couldn't deny, "Ah, just a weak leg, is all."

"Should I get a herb from the gardens, then?" Toadette looked up. "Those usually fix everything right up."

Daisy glared at Toadette. A herb would do nothing to fix his leg; the disease was already spreading through his body. Once it spreads to his lungs, it will make him so weak that eventually, he wouldn't be able to breathe. However, this would take months to put into effect, so Daisy had some time. She planned to make every minute last.

"No, no." The king patted Toadette on the head. "It's fine."

Toadette nodded and she kept her eyes on the floor, letting the royals talk in peace.

"Toadstool, you didn't have to travel all this way for me. Toadsworth may be worried sick."

Peach cringed. "Oh, I forgot. I suppose I should go back."

"However," The king interjected, "I do have a small proposal for the two of you."

The princesses looked at the king with wide eyes. "If you are not aware, I am in fact a tad…sick. I don't believe that I'm in the right conditions to rule the kingdom properly anymore, but since Toadstool has high experience with her kingdom, I believe it's time for you to teach my daughter how to rule her kingdom properly."

"Pardon?" Peach was taken aback by the king's words.

Daisy did not speak. Yes, she was shocked, but she of all people knew this was coming.

"I will send a note to Toadsworth as soon as I can and I will have someone bring your luggage for you."

"But…but my kingdom will be without a leader."

"I believe there was one man…he seems like he could take care of the kingdom well. If not, Toadsworth could take it into his own hands, but lord knows the old shroom is going as fast as I am."

"You mean…" Daisy looked at Peach.

"Mario? But…he's not royalty, what does he know about ruling a kingdom?" Peach said softly, trying not to sound mean towards her savior.

"Right, that was his name. What he doesn't know, he'll learn from Toadsworth. He taught you everything, after all." The king added.

"How long will she be staying, daddy?" Daisy asked quickly.

"Two months or so. I want you two to learn things from each other."

Peach nodded.

"Good, I will get started on the note. Please make yourself comfortable, Toadstool."

Toadette steadied the king and walked over to Peach. "I'll show you your room, princess." Peach waved farewell to her friend and walked out of the room.

The throne doors closed, making the room vibrate with the sound of the huge doors closing. Daisy was left alone with her father. Her stomach was in knots and her mouth felt dry. She was never nervous before in her life and she automatically hated the feeling.

"I know this is a little hard to understand now, but I know that you'll make a fine queen." Her father said faintly.

"But…but why did you have to go? You could have stayed here and everything would have been fine…" Daisy felt her voice trail off.

The king rested his hand on Daisy's shoulder and locked onto her eyes. "Listen to everything Toadstool tells you. She knows what she is doing, so trust her. I want to see improvement from you."

Daisy sniffled, "Okay…"

"Promise me that you'll do your best. That is all I ask of you."

She felt her vision blur again, but she didn't hold it back. A single tear rolled down her slightly tanned cheek and dropped to the marble floor. Her father wiped her face and tried to smile, but Daisy could see that behind his smile, he was just as scared.

He briskly kissed her forehead. "I love you, child."

She stepped back and kept her head down. "I love you too, daddy."

* * *

**See? That was pretty sad for me, but like I said, I wrote this back when I came up with the idea to write a sad story. This is the result. I know that a lot of people want to see where this goes, but from here on out, it's gonna be pretty upsetting. **

**I could just imagine if I actually made one you CRY during this story. That's never going to happen though. I wasn't that descriptive with this original copy and I'm not being descriptive now. **

**These will be one of those stories that I try to jam humor in so that at least I don't make whoever reads this actually cry, so the only humor you can look forward to is the parts where Mario tries to rule the kingdom for two months and these beginning and ending author's notes. **

**Unless you don't find these funny.**

**This story is meant to be sad, by the way. It has to deal with life changes and learning from the perfect and ruling a kingdom, so I'm not sure if you like sad stories. If you don't then read some of my funny stuff. You know, because that stuff is actually funny...I think. **

**Click my profile for more stories by me! Leave a review, comment, favorite, follow, whatever and I will see YOU...in the next update! BYE-BYE!**


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Yawning and rubbing his eyes, Luigi walked down the stairs, into the kitchen of the brothers' household. The sun shone brightly through the windows. It looked like a nice day outside, but he hissed and closed the curtains, blocking the awful Monday morning sunlight. Luigi was never one for mornings, or Mondays. He would rather be locked in time, forced to remain in the night's comforting darkness. He tiredly reached for a mug in the cupboard. Setting it down, he closed the cupboard door. Blinking a few times to keep himself awake, he finally let his tiredness get the best of him and rested his forehead on the wooden cupboard door, drifting back to sleep.

A door shifted open and made a small creaking noise. Shuffling was heard at first, then a soft grunting. A small gasp sounded and then something fell. Luigi snapped back to reality, blinking a few times. His vision was blurred slightly, but he could still see well enough to identify the fallen item. He walked over to the pantry doors, which were slightly opened and stared at the fallen bag of chips. "How did you get down here?" He picked up the colorful bag and set it back up on one of the wooden shelves. "Stay." He snickered.

Yoshi tugged at his pants, whining.

"Huh? You…you want this?"

Yoshi nodded vigorously. He outstretched his arms and opened and closed his hands. Luigi lamely tossed him the chips and Yoshi giggled with glee. "You know, I don't remember letting you in here last night…" He recalled.

Yoshi munched away happily on the chips.

"...Wait a second, how _did_ you get in here?"

Yoshi paused, tilting his head at his friend's question. After looking around the kitchen one last time, Yoshi pointed to a big hole in the window by the sink. Luigi stared wide-eyed at the broken window. He stepped back and called up the stairs.

"MARIO!"

Minutes later, the brothers were both bickering over the events that happened the night before.

"I'm telling you, he got in here last night by breaking that window." Luigi explained sternly, pointing at the broken window.

"It could have been the wind." Mario replied.

Luigi groaned. "You always think that whatever happens is the wind!"

"Maybe it was! Wind can do that, you know."

Luigi sighed, crossing his arms over his chest. "Then how do you explain the 50-pound dinosaur in our kitchen?!"

"The wind can do many things, Luigi."

"GAH!"

Just as Luigi was getting ready to scold his brother at the top of his lungs, someone knocked at the front door. "I'm betting that was the wind too." Luigi sneered. Mario rolled his eyes. He tugged at the hem of his red shirt and walked over to the door. Faint mumbling could be heard outside. The person had a natural British accent, which Mario easily recognized at Toadsworth. Toadsworth was the royal advisor to Princess Peach and her caretaker. Mario always thought of the old man as a nanny with no home to go back to and he paid the price for calling him a "grandpa" on numerous occasions. Toadsworth wasn't fond of the plumber, but he dealt with it.

Mario opened the door just a crack so he could rudely say, "No one's home!" but Toadsworth pushed the door open wider. His mumbling was soon turning into a rant.

"…And she dares to defy ME, her royal advisor and her caretaker and she dare defy her KINGDOM!" Toadsworth sharply turned around to face Mario, "And YOU!" He wagged a bony finger at the man, "She trusts YOU! I'll never understand that girl."

Luigi breathed inwardly, thinking hard about Toadsworth's rant. "Uhh…can you explain?"

"Glad to!" He exclaimed, huffing once more. "Last night, around the hour of one, the princesses left the castle," He glared at Mario, "_Unguarded."_ Mario shrugged. Toadsworth continued, "This morning, I received a letter explaining their sudden disappearance. Let me just tell you that I am not too pleased with the contents of that bloody letter, but…" His tone changed back to a mumble, "I suppose you will be."

Toadsworth gave Mario the letter, pointing to a certain paragraph. Mario sighed and read some parts aloud. "I will be gone for an estimated two months and have no expectations that I will return any sooner…the kingdom will be given to a trustworthy person until I return…I advise that Toadsworth keep a good eye on him…the kingdom is temporarily given to my protector and good friend, Mario…"

The room was silent. Mario read over the sentence a couple of times, as if it were going to change at any minute. Toadsworth huffed once again, "Rubbish. Absolute rubbish."

The brothers stared at him. He cleared his throat and managed a fake smile. "I mean, it's wonderful. You get to try your hand at royalty…_Master Mario_." He despised saying those very words, but he had learned to deal with that as well.

"The kingdom is mine?"

"Temporarily," Toadsworth quickly added, "Only for the estimated two months."

"Yeah, but it's still mine."

Luigi sighed. "So I'll be under the rule of my own brother…for two months. Great, just great."

"Oh please," Mario rolled his eyes, "You're overreacting."

"Overreacting?" Luigi scoffed, "That's not overreacting." He raised his voice, "_This_ is overreacting!"

Toadsworth spoke softly, "Boys…"

"You're such a drama queen."

"A drama queen?" Luigi looked back at Yoshi, "I'm not the one who doesn't care that A DINOSAUR IS IN OUR KITCHEN!"

"My point exactly."

Toadsworth now had a stern tone in his voice, "Boys."

"Do you not care that our window is broken? Do you think that everything is going perfectly because you're going to rule the kingdom?"

"Well, it's an honor but it doesn't change the way I feel about a broken window. I'll fix it later."

"LATER?! WHEN IS LATER?"

"When I get around to it. Stop yelling."

"How about _I_ stop yelling when I get around to it?! I'll stop yelling later!"

"Stop!"

"I'VE HAD IT UP TO _HERE_ WITH YOU…"

"BOYS!"

The argument subsided and the room was quiet once again. Toadsworth snatched the letter out of Mario's hands angrily. He scanned over the letter. The brothers glared at each other. It was common for them to have arguments now and they would always end the same. Luigi would always storm out of the house, thinking that Mario would try to apologize to him, but Luigi would always return. He would fake that he forgot something, while still acting like he was mad. The next day, they would be all buddy-buddy again.

"Aha!" Toadsworth broke their train of thought. "It says here that the king will need a messenger to travel back and forth between Sarasaland and here to deliver any important messages. This person would have to be able to travel back and forth in a day, so it would have to be an experienced traveler."

Yoshi shot up and his tail wagged with glee.

Luigi looked back at Yoshi, considering whether or not he should reply. Yoshi trotted calmly over to him and nudged his head under Luigi's hand. Yoshi cooed, trying to sound like a house cat. "Well…I do have some experience riding. I could be able to travel between kingdoms in a day, but Sarasaland is the desert. It's all the way across the kingdom."

Toadsworth walked out the door. "Then you better get going."

Mario and Luigi followed after Toadsworth. Yoshi took one last glance around the house. He sniffed around the kitchen, looking for more treats. He trotted outside with a handful of ripe apples.

"So," Mario clapped his hands, "Is there a fancy escort or something?"

Toadsworth smirked. "Yes, there is indeed a fancy escort."

"And who would they be?"

"Your legs," Toadsworth snickered. "Come now. There's no time to goof-off. Much work is needed to be done…_Master Mario_."

The village ahead of them was bustling with busy bodies. Everyone was awake and ready to start the day. Toadsworth stopped Luigi as he steadied himself on Yoshi's saddle. "Before I forget," He heaved the luggage over to Luigi, "This is the princess'. This is also your first mission, so don't mess it up."

Luigi set the luggage in front of him and tied the reins around his hands. Not in the mood for a farewell, he signaled for Yoshi to speed ahead and they were soon off towards the north. Mario watched his brother dash past the herds of people in the village. Toadsworth trudged away from him. "COME BOY!" Mario blinked and looked over at Toadsworth. The two made their steady way to the castle.

* * *

"Sir! Sir! There's a stranger approaching the castle. We're not sure if it's hostile or not." A guard announced. His voice echoed off the marble walls of the throne room.

The king nodded. "Leave it be."

"Yes, your highness." The guard bowed and left the room in a hurry.

Daisy's eyes shifted. "Wait, but Daddy, what if it's an enemy?"

"Now, child…"

"They could attack the kingdom."

"I said to leave them be."

"Something horrible could happen."

"I said to leave it be."

Daisy's argument subsided with a sigh. Peach glared at her friend as if to say _why bother to argue? _Daisy couldn't fully answer that question, but she knew that she's been worried for her father ever since she got the news. If she could, she would bubble wrap the entire castle just for her father's protection.

"Well," Peach started, "I suppose I will take Daisy to the study and start our lessons."

"Very well." The king agreed.

Daisy froze. "Lessons? Now? Uh, can we take a lunch break first?"

"Come on, Daisy." Peach took Daisy by the arm and led her out of the throne room. Daisy tried to fight Peach's grip, but it was no use. She could see that Peach was excited to start the lessons, but Daisy obviously wasn't too pleased.

"Princess Lessons." Daisy repeated, sighing heavily out of her nose. She sat in one of the comfy leather chairs by the mantel.

Peach closed the huge study doors and brushed her fingers through her blonde hair. "Yes, Princess Lessons. Don't worry, dearest. It's not _complete_ torture. "

Daisy arched an eyebrow at Peach's emphasis on the word _complete_. "Yeah well, I've been a princess for my entire life. I'm sure I'm fine."

Peach opened her mouth to argue, but quickly closed it. She came to another idea and smiled. "Very well then. Please tell me how long a grand dining table is."

"Huh?"

"And do tell me the very point where a princess is to put her crown on her head."

"Wait…"

"And be so kind as to inform me as to when a princess is to have her tea."

"Uh…noon?"

"Oh, and I can't forget when a princess is to have the royal ball to find a suitor. Do tell how old a princess should be when that happens."

"I don't know. 25?"

"Aha!" Peach exclaimed victoriously. "See? You do not know the full ins and outs of being a true princess."

"Does it matter?"

"Very much!" Peach nodded. "Now, sit up straight in that chair. Do not drape your legs over the arm. It's vulgar. With me, you are not Daisy; you are Princess Daisy Diana Sarasa."

"Ugh, don't say my middle name."

"Do not groan at me."

"Fine."

"Do not huff at me either."

"…Okay."

"Speak formally."

Daisy shot up with rage. She grit her teeth, but held back her fury. "I will not groan or huff at you." She managed.

"And who am I?"

Daisy cringed again. "Princess Peach…Toadstool."

"Thank you." Peach turned away looking for a book on one of the large bookshelves.

Daisy crossed her arms over her chest. "I don't get why I have a stupid middle name but she doesn't," She mumbled hoarsely.

Outside of the castle, guards stood tall as Luigi hopped down from Yoshi. He was mumbling to himself as he untied the reins from his hands. "_Be the messenger boy_, they said. _It'll be fun_, they said. Traveling to and from kingdoms in a day. I said I had experience and they think that I'll be fine. _Go ahead, Luigi. Don't mess up, Luigi. _You can't tell me what to do."

"Oi!" A guard called in a horribly managed accent.

Luigi turned around.

"Stop talkin' to yerself, ya big brute! I can hear ya all the way in Timbuktu!" The two guards laughed haughtily at the first guard's remark.

Yoshi was led towards the stables while Luigi made his way inside the castle. "So are you here on business?" Another guard asked.

"Y-you could say that."

"He's here to talk to himself," The other guard snickered, "That's what he's here for, lad. He's a crazy one, I tell ya. I see it in his eyes."

"He's not crazy," The second guard replied softly, "He's just…" The guard hesitated for the right word.

"An idiot."

"A wing-nut."

"One-too many shots of ye old ale."

The guards snickered. Luigi stopped in the middle of the main hall. This wasn't the first time he had been called crazy before, but it was starting to get on his nerves.

"Oh! You must be the messenger boy!" Toadette scurried into the room.

Luigi nodded. He was shocked that his temporary title had already passed quickly through the castle.

"Well then, we can't have you standing here forever! Come with me, you need to address yourself to the king at once." She took his hand and opened the large doors of the throne room. "Your highness,"

The king finished talking to a servant in a hushed tone and sent her on her way. She bowed clumsily and left the room. The king turned around to face Toadette and Luigi. "Ah! I've been expecting you, my boy. The mail system never fails!" The king walked weakly over to them. His cane made a light tapping sound on the marble floors. "Toadette, please bring the girls down."

Toadette nodded and ran out of the room towards the marble staircase. Luigi looked around the throne room in awe. "I-I'm guessing that the stain glass windows represent some kind of history…" He said shyly.

"Clever. Yes, they represent every important event that has occurred over the past thousand years. For example, this window here represents the day of creation." He pointed to a window that was vibrantly colored. "The bright colors represent the beginning rays of hope that lit up the world. Then the next window describes the kingdom's creation. Dozens of years were spent on building this very castle and the pyramids of protection that surround it." The king turned away politely and had a small coughing fit.

"Don't anger yourself, Daisy." Peach's voice sounded.

"I'M NOT ANGERY!"

Daisy pushed the throne room doors open with such a force that the guards had backed a safe distance away from the grand doors. The princesses stopped in the middle of the throne room. Daisy blinked as she saw Luigi. Of all people to come to the castle, it had to be him? "Luigi," Peach noticed the hard expression on Daisy's face, "Umm…exactly why are you here…exactly?"

"I'm…I'm the…"

Toadette piped up, "The messenger boy. And he has your luggage."

Peach softly thanked him. Daisy cleared her throat, squinting with anger. "The last thing I need is more people in this castle."

"Child…" The king tried to console her.

"No, Daddy. He just wants to figure out why I left and tell the whole kingdom. Yeah well, I've read enough blackmail stories to know how this works out. He's going to act all nice around us while he also tries to snoop through my family history. It's not going to work this time, messenger boy! I'm smarter than you!" And with great gusto, Daisy huffed out of the room and returned to the study.

"I'm sorry, Luigi. She's been acting up lately." Peach explained sheepishly. She took her luggage and followed after Daisy.

"I do not know what has gotten into that girl," The king shook his head, "Her mother was never like this."

"I-I'm sure if-if you give her some time…she'll grow out of it…I think."

The king laughed a bit, but then coughed. "Her stubbornness is what she prizes most." He coughed, "She won't grow onto anyone easily."

* * *

Luigi was soon escorted to his room. He would have to return to The Mushroom Kingdom tomorrow for a report on the princess and to return to Sarasaland with a report on The Mushroom Kingdom. Nightfall crept around the castle, slowly engulfing it in darkness. The sky was soon peppered with twinkling stars and the hot desert air turned into a chilled breeze. It was ten o'clock at night, the time when the castle prepared for bed. Luigi stepped outside the castle to check on Yoshi.

The few Yoshis chained loosely to the stables were soundly asleep. Luigi tossed an apple in the air and caught it a few times. As he neared the stables, he stepped back, startled by the princess. The apple dropped to the floor. "P-princess! I-I didn't mean to…"

Daisy glared at him, but opened the stable gates. She patted a Yoshi's head and filled its water bucket. "It's late, messenger boy. You should be asleep."

"I-I think I could say the same for you."

Daisy gave him a cold glare. She turned away and continued. "You're a while away from home, aren't you?"

"Yes…"

"Well," She mused and turned around with a sincere smile on her face, "Let me just remind you that you are NOT in the same kingdom." Her sweet tone turned into a hiss. "Whatever my Daddy says goes, alright?" She stepped closer to him, "So that means no stealing," She poked his chest, "No blackmailing," She poked his chest harder, "And NO funny business." He recoiled. "Got that, messenger boy?"

He nodded meekly, but then stared her in the eye. "But what happened…before? At the party…you were different."

Daisy scoffed. She had half the mind to strike him and half the mind to leave him in the cold. She held back her hand, but kept it ready to strike. "People change, messenger boy. Sometimes it's for the best. What happened, happened but that was the past and this is now. Don't keep your head in the clouds…" She closed the stable gates. "You'll get lost."

The still night played the major role in the ambiance while the two stared quietly at each other. They did not speak for what seemed like hours, but was truly minutes. After mentally preparing himself to speak, Luigi opened his mouth, but Daisy interjected. "It's late, messenger boy. Have fun sleeping in the stables."

"The stables?"

"There's no way that I'm letting my guard down and let you sleep in the castle." She crossed her arms. Considering whether she should say goodnight, she simply breathed inwardly and strode towards the back castle doors.

_She can't be serious_, he thought. He twisted the golden door knob, but it was locked. He tugged helplessly at it, but the results did not change. Luigi sighed and walked back to the stables. The rusty gates opened with a shrill creak. He sat down next to Yoshi, resting his back on a bale of hay. Yoshi nudged himself next to his friend and cooed in his sleep. Luigi slowly bobbed off to sleep.

Daisy looked out her room's balcony. The stables were visible from there and she saw Luigi foolishly sleep in the stables when he could have just walked around the castle and entered through the front doors. Maybe he just took what the princess said seriously. She _was _partly joking about sleeping in the stables. She rested her elbow on the rim of the balcony and her chin on her palm. Daisy kept her eyes on the stables, replaying the previous night's events. A smile formed on her face. Blinking a few times, she snapped out of it. "Pull yourself together, girl." She looked over at the grandfather clock ticking in her room. Daisy closed the white balcony curtains and readied herself for bed.

* * *

**How long has it been? I seriously couldn't believe that I let everyone hang like that. Oh well, the story is back up and ready to rock! I'm eventually going to return to this story with the remastered version, since I felt Disney vibes coming from this story, so that'll be out in a long while. **

**Like it? Hate it? You tell me!**

**Welp everyone, sorry for the horrible delay in this story, but it's coming back! I made this chapter a bit longer since I owe you all one. And sorry for any misspellings I may have over-looked (PICK-IT RUSHED AGAIN! FFFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUDGE) And I messed up with the chapter numbers, but like that matters. *gets pelt with tomatoes* Everybody's a critic...**

**Click my profile for more stories by me! Leave a comment, review, favorite, follow, PM me if you want to know anything and as always, I will see YOU...in the next update! (which will hopefully be soon) BYE-BYE!**


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

The messenger boy – that's who he was now. Just a low-life messenger boy, who stupid enough to willingly dash from kingdom to kingdom, giving letters back and forth like a lab rat. Well, Luigi was always the second best. Fate was just sticking to the classics, he thought.

Before the sun rose over Mushroom Castle, Luigi was able to reach kingdom grounds in remarkable time. He hopped off the tired, green dinosaur and headed into the castle.

"Don't let him touch anything, don't let him see anything, don't let him move anything around…in fact, don't let him out of his room." Toadsworth ordered a few castle servants to keep a very close eye on Mario. The servants nodded, bowed, and ran down the hall.

"Morning, Toadsworth," Luigi bowed. He rose and grabbed a neatly folded letter from his back pocket. "The king wanted me to give this to you."

Toadsworth glared at him, and then took the letter from his hands. "I'm surprised you're here this early. I was expecting you to be late."

Luigi rubbed his neck and shrugged. The only reason why he was early was because he had a hard time trying to sleep on a bale of hay. It wasn't the most pleasant experience.

Toadsworth looked over the letter quickly and laughed wryly. He looked up at Luigi. "Come with me," he said.

The two climbed the stairs until they reached the study. There, Toadsworth grabbed an old quill pen on the shelf. He dipped it in ink and began to write a short response to the king.

Toadsworth handed the letter over to Luigi. "Give this to the king straight away. If anything goes wrong, he is to notify _me, _understand?"

Luigi nodded.

"Good," Toadsworth huffed. "Off you go, then."

The old shroom began to walk out of the room before Luigi stopped him. "I'm sorry if this would, uh, interfere with anything, but I was wondering if Yoshi and I could rest here, just, just for a little while."

Toadsworth stopped in his tracks. "Stay?" He turned around and started to laugh. He told the boy to leave to inform the king, and yet he wants to stay. This must have been a joke. No messenger boy should stay in one place for too long, even if it was just for a rest. What if the kingdom got ambushed? How would let the princess know that her kingdom was in good hands?

However, the look in Luigi's eyes didn't make it seem like it was a joke. Toadsworth's smile disappeared and his frown returned. "Fine," he sighed loudly, "You may stay. But only for an hour! I can't have anything happen to that letter."

Luigi bowed and smiled. "Thank you, sir."

"Carry on," Toadsworth left the room in a grudge.

* * *

The Sarasalandian castle felt different. Ever since Daisy returned to her home, the castle felt different. Everything just as it was when she left for the season; there were only minor differences here and there. But the entire castle just felt different. The entire kingdom seemed different as well. Daisy watched the little Toad and Koopa children play around, unaware of the future and of what was going to happen to their king - what was going to happen to her father. Ever since the horrible news had been bestowed upon her, nothing really felt the same. A strong sense of sadness came over her, and Peach's harsh teachings in the components of a true princess didn't help either. Daisy somewhat looked at the world in a different light – from a different stand-point.

Now she knew why everything had seemed to change.

It had been a long and monotonous morning. Princess Peach couldn't seem to find Daisy anywhere. The king simply sat at the dining table, alone, listening to the princess' complains.

"I'm not sure how you could put up with her, your majesty. She roams around every inch of the world with her head in the clouds, hoping beyond hope that something good happens to her." Peach began pacing back and forth. "She cannot remain like this forever. She must change."

"That is exactly why I chose you to teach her," the king replied. "You learned from your mother, who learned from her mother, who learned from her mother, and so on and so forth. Daisy's mother had passed when she just a young girl. She had no chance to learn, which is why she is as she is."

"But it needs to change!" Peach had not intended on shouting, but did so anyway. She stepped back and looked down. "I apologize, your majesty."

The king said nothing to follow that apology. Instead, he asked, "You cannot find her?"

Peach shook her head, "No, sir."

He smiled. "Try the ballroom."

Peach was skeptical. "Why of all places would she be there?"

"I should know my own daughter. Search the ballroom. I bet you that she is there."

* * *

"_Where's my little rosebud?"_

_(he-he)_

"_Is she under the wooden table? No?"_

_(you won't find me!)_

"_Is she…behind the curtains!? No?"_

_(tee-he)_

"_I just can't seem to find her! Oh no!" _

_(I win!)_

"_Wait, what is that sound behind the velvet chair?"_

_(oh no! you can't find me now!)_

"_Where is she?"_

Daisy sat behind the velvet chair in the ballroom, recalling the many games of hide-and-seek that her and her father shared in this very room. She smiled and muttered, almost to herself, "I'm right here, Daddy."

"Daisy!"

Daisy jumped up from her hiding spot and looked over at Peach. "I was looking all over for you, young lady!"

Daisy rested her arms on the top of the velvet chair. The golden frame had slowly become a bronze-like color, but the velvet chair had been in the castle for centuries now. Daisy smirked, "You obviously weren't looking hard enough."

"That's no way to respond," Peach shook her head.

"What? I've always been sarcastic. It just comes to me."

"Well, we have to make it _stop_ coming to you."

Daisy snorted, "Good luck with that."

"And you have to stop snorting. Are you a pig?"

"Hey, quit trying to compare me to farm animals, Ms. Pretty-in-Pink."

"That is no way to –"

"I don't care! Just leave me alone!"

"We have lessons today, do you not remember?"

Daisy rolled her eyes. "I'm ecstatic."

"Your sarcasm must cease immediately." Peach grabbed a hold of Daisy's arm.

"Your attitude must cease immediately." Daisy pulled away from the princess' grasp. "Just leave me alone here, just for a while, okay?"

Peach crossed her arms and frowned. There was no getting past Daisy's stubbornness, that's for sure. There might have been another way, perhaps.

"You want to stay here? Fine. We will stay here and learn at the same time."

Daisy stood back and titled her head.

"This is the ballroom, after all. We might as well work on your dancing."

Daisy froze. "No. There is no way that you or anyone else can teach me how to dance. Remember? Every other teacher I had couldn't stand to even stay within ten feet of me. By the time we were finished with every lesson, they had bruises and blisters on their feet."

"Oh, come now," Peach outstretched her arm, "What could you _possibly_ do to me?"

Daisy tentatively took Peach's hand, completely unsure of what the outcome would be.

* * *

"NO! NEVER AGAIN!"

"Your highness,"

"NO! I have never seen such ignorance! I can accept the fact that I'm not the ideal partner for her, but she cannot even move her feet!"

Peach sat in the velvet chair in the ballroom. Toadette was at her side trying to calm her down. Daisy had stormed out of the room minutes before. There was no telling where Daisy was going to go next.

"Your highness, I'm sure that it was not intentional and I am positive that Princess Daisy has learned something of value today. If not, we always have tomorrow's lessons."

"That is if I don't leave by tomorrow."

Toadette stood up straight. "I apologize, your highness, but that was very rude of you. I have respect for you, but you have been lacking manners lately. The king expects you to be on your best behavior if Princess Daisy is to learn anything. We don't want her to be snapping back at others this way and that now do we?"

Peach sighed, "I suppose."

Toadette nodded. "Good. Now I expect you to apologize to the princess as well. If you can find her, that is." She laughed and walked out of the room to attend to the king.

* * *

Daisy sat on the very stoop of the castle. She expected Peach to come bursting through the doors at any minute, but it didn't happen. The front castle entrance was strangely quiet all day. The only people keeping Daisy company were the guards.

"Unidentified persons approaching, your highness," a guard bowed, "Your orders?"

"Let them pass," Daisy waved him away. "It's probably the messenger boy."

And, not to Daisy's surprise, it _was_ the messenger boy.

Luigi hopped down from Yoshi with the letter in his hand. Daisy ran up to him with a sly little smile on her face.

"Welcome back, messenger boy." Daisy broke out into a laugh, but centered herself quickly.

"Uh, right," Luigi walked passed her and into the main hall. Daisy stopped him before he reached the throne room.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," She snatched the letter from his hand and tossed it to the side. "You're coming with me."

Luigi eyed the letter on the floor. "No, but," Daisy directed his face back to hers.

"No buts! Come on!"

The letter was left on the floor as the two left the hallway.

-page break-

"Daisy, Daisy, why are we, we on top of a tree?"

"'Cause…"

"And why are you tying a rope around my leg?"

"'Cause…"

"And why are we, why are we one-hundred feet off the ground?"

Daisy tightened the rope around his leg and straightened herself back up. "One-hundred and ten feet, messenger boy." She tightened the metal clasp around the thin wire.

"Oh, that makes everything so much better," Luigi rolled his eyes.

Daisy smiled mischievously. "Well, any last words?"

Luigi tightened his grip on the rope, "What!?"

Daisy placed her hands firmly on his back.

"WAIT!" Luigi shouted, putting one foot an inch forward.

"What?"

"Don't you know that I'm afraid of heights?"

Daisy laughed and ended it with a snort, "I was too!"

"_WAS_?"

And she pushed him off the ledge of the tree. He hugged the rope tightly and screamed bloody murder. Daisy, however, found this hilarious.

Once the ride ended, Luigi kept his eyes shut and kept screaming. It wasn't until he set his foot down that he stopped. He slowly looked down and sighed with relief. He was still alive and all his limbs were still attached to his torso.

"INCOMING!"

Daisy's sudden impact made Luigi go flying off the rope and into one of the sand dunes. Daisy laughed even harder – until she snorted…then she laughed because she snorted.

Luigi shook the sand out of his hair. "Hardy-har-har. Laugh while it's still funny, princess."

Daisy jumped down from the rope. "Oh, trust me," she laughed as she spoke, "I will."

Once things quieted down, Daisy cleared her throat, but kept her smile.

"Well, that is all. You can leave."

Luigi arched an eyebrow, "What?"

"You can leave," Daisy said again.

"So you brought me all the way out here just to laugh at my pain?"

Daisy shook her head, but then nodded. "It was just a game."

Luigi sighed. "Well then, I bid you farewell, princess. I'm going to hit the hay…literally." He began walking towards the sables.

Daisy ran up to him and stopped him. "Hold it right there, mister."

He shrugged, "You told me to…"

Daisy put a finger to his lips, "I know what I said. I didn't intend for you to take it seriously, but since you did and didn't make a fuss about it…" She reached into one of the rips in her dress, where she kept most miscellaneous things and took out a key. "Here,"

Luigi took the key carefully.

"It's a key to one of the bedrooms upstairs. I wouldn't let you sleep with the animals for the rest of your stay."

Luigi was speechless for a minute and stuttered when the words finally came out, "T-Thank you, princess."

Daisy waved the compliment away and scoffed. "No problem. And anyway, it's only mid-afternoon-ish. If you sleep now, you'll be up pretty early tomorrow."

Luigi nodded, "That's the idea."

"Well, sweet dreams, messenger boy."

And the princess left.

* * *

**The (most likely not) long-awaited update to one of my favorite stories in progress!**

**This is one of those: "I don't really care if you like it, but I do so I'll keep writing it" dealies.**

**Tell me what you think of the rope part of this chapter! It was fun to write into the original copy. **

**Well, Google Chrome didn't pick up any spelling mistakes, so I'll assume there are none. It's very late where I am, as I write this, so I ain't got the time for re-reading it. **

**Leave a comment, review, favorite, follow, or favorite me/follow me. PM me for any info, CHECK MY PROFILE FOR UPDATES, and, as always, I will see YOU...in the next update! BYE-BYE!**


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